


The Sonabulim

by Nellie2018



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Hurt Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 08:54:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19460623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellie2018/pseuds/Nellie2018
Summary: Sam and Castiel return to their car to find an exhausted angel leaning against it.  It turns out to be a friend of Castiel who is in trouble and needs his help.   Unfortunately Sam is stuck in the middle and his life is in danger.





	1. Tinkerbael

“Can you get me one of those green milk cartons please Cas” said Sam, bending over to top up the basket with tomatoes and cucumber. 

The angel nodded and walked over to the dairy chiller to examine the milk cartons on display. He was dazzled by the choice but then remembered that Sam had mentioned a green carton. He took one out and then held it in his hand as he recalled that Sam always said to look at the row behind as it would have a longer sell by date on it. He was pleased to see the one behind had an extra day on it and he returned to Sam in triumph, placing it in the basket beside the other bits and pieces of shopping they had already found. Sam and Castiel were on a restocking run, having returned to the bunker from a 5 day hunting trip. The larder and fridge were bare and they had left Dean at home, sorting out the kit and cleaning the guns and knives.

Sam smiled inwardly as he watched the Angel carefully selecting the items that he had pointed out, sometimes shaking his head at some of the more sugary confections. It was like shopping with a child, Castiel finally coming to terms with being more of a human than an angel at the moment. His angel power batteries were still low but were slowly recharging after his run-in with the Leviathans and eventually Castiel would be back to normal but for now, he was an innocent learning the ways of the daily life that ordinary people led.

Having finished, they walked back to the car chatting about what meal they were going to have for supper that night. Castiel was proving to be a quick learner and his meals were both nutritious and delicious. Even Dean had grudgingly acknowledged his talents. They had been careful to include the ingredients for Castiel to bake Deans favourite pie. It was a hot day, the summer heatwave causing the air to shimmer on the asphalt of the carpark. As they neared the car they spotted a figure slumped against the bonnet. He was tall, blonde with pale skin and he was dressed in black jeans, t shirt and a light tan jacket over the top. On his back was a small black rucksack. Both hunter and angel immediately transformed into alert mode as they approached warily.

As they neared the man raised his head and breathed out an exhausted “Castiel.” Castiel stared at the figure in front of him and reached out with his angel power to touch his mind.

“Tinkerbael” he gasped, reaching out as his fellow angel slumped forward.

“Tinkerbell?” questioned Sam, reaching out to support his friend.

“No Tinkerbael” muttered Castiel. “We fought in the same unit of the angel host.”

They wrestled the barely conscious Tinkerbael into the back of the car, the angel clearly in a bad way and Castiel climbed in beside him as Sam packed the shopping away quickly in the Impalas trunk.

“What happened to you?” asked Castiel, moving to sit alongside his ailing fellow angel.

“I need your help Castiel. I know it has been a long time but I could think of no-one I could trust more than you.”

Castiel nodded. They had a long history between them and he considered Tinkerbael as much a friend as an Angel could have.

“You need to tell me everything” he said, gripping the arm of the distressed angel.

“I will but I am so tired. Please do you have anywhere safe to stay?”

Sam got in the car and heard the last comment. He turned around and asked “You trust this guy Cas?”

Castiel nodded “He is one of the good ones.”

Sam turned back and started the engine “Ok, lets get him back to the batcave.”

“You’ll be safe there” assured Castiel. “Rest for a while and I am sure that my friends Sam and Dean will be able to help you.”

Tinkerbael relaxed and leaned into his friend. He was tired beyond reason and his angel grace was exhausted. He closed his eyes and shut his power down to conserve his energy. He had found his friend and knew that he could now share the load.

Dean had finished cleaning the guns and was placing the last of them in the armoury. He took pride in the job and understood the importance of maintaining all of them in a good condition as their lives depended on them to be fully functional when needed. As he placed the last one in its holder, his cellphone buzzed and he took it out of his back pocket seeing that it was Sam calling.

“Hey” he said simply and listened as Sam explained that he needed to expect a guest.

“Tinkerbell?” he questioned in disbelief.

“Tinkerbael” repeated his brother with a small laugh.

Dean frowned “And Cas has vouched for him?”

Sam glanced in the rear mirror to see Cas holding Tinkerbael gently.

“Yeah, it looks like him and Cas have a history.”

“Ok, I’ll set up a spare bedroom for him. See you soon.”

Finishing the call he walked to one of the guest rooms and began to pull out fresh bedding as Sam had explained that the angel was exhausted and would need to rest before telling them his story. Dean hoped that it wasn’t going to get them into trouble again - their past history with angels was somewhat checkered.

About 10 minutes later, Sam and Castiel appeared,Castiel carrying the unconscious angel in his arms. 

“He needs to rest, his grace is exhausted.”

Dean indicated for them to follow him and he led them to the prepared bedroom and watched as Sam and Castiel gently laid the tired man on the bed.

“He’ll be safe here” assured Sam. “Do you need any help with him?”

Castiel shook his head. “No, I will see to his needs. When he is ready I will ask him to tell us why he came to find me.”  
Sam nodded and joined Dean at the door. They observed as Castiel gently pulled the bag, coat and boots off Tinkerbael, and tucked him under the covers. He settled into a chair at the side and began his vigil, all thoughts of cooking forgotten.

The Winchester brothers walked back to the garage and emptied the shopping from the car, Sam filling him on what he knew.

“What help does he need?” asked Dean

Sam shrugged “We didn’t get an answer. He was virtually catatonic. We only know that something bad must have happened to him to drain his power. Cas says it will take some time for him to reboot.”

As they walked back Dean fretted.

“We both know that any involvement with angels can be dangerous. Any sign of a problem and he has to go.”

“Agreed” nodded Sam. “But it’s obvious that Cas has a strong relationship with this guy. He said they were in the same angel army unit”.

“Brothers in arms” sighed Dean. “Trust no-one Sam, that is my motto”

“I know” he sighed. “He’s safe where he is and Cas will keep an eye on him. Let’s just keep an open mind for now”.

They ate alone that night, Sam preparing a sausage casserole. Sam took a plate to Castiel who, although as an angel he didn’t require to eat to live, took it anyway as he was learning to enjoy the pleasure of food.

Tinkerbael lay still, not aware of the outside world, focussing inwardly on his recovery.

The younger Winchester brother looked down at the tall blonde angel whose eyes were closed.

“So you have a history with this guy?” he asked as Castiel began to spoon the casserole into his mouth.

The fallen angel nodded. 

“Tinkerbael is a good soldier, strong and loyal. We have fought many battles together over the years.”

“How long is it since you’ve seen him?”

Castiel shrugged. “Time moves differently on earth and in heaven. It has been a long time since we have communed.”

Sam nodded. “A good friend is one that will help even though you’ve not seen them for a long time.”

Castiel nodded “I hope that I am able to help him.” He finished off the food and handed the plate back to the tall hunter with a nod of thanks.

Sam stood up, “I hope that we can help him Cas. You know Dean and me are going to help if we can.”

Cas just nodded his head and returned to his vigil.

Sam left quietly and joined his brother who he found in the study and he leaned over to see what Dean was looking at on his laptop. It was an internet search for Tinkerbael.

“Any luck?” he asked.

Dean nodded. “Once I got past all the recommendations for Tinkerbell, I found this reference.” He turned the laptop around and Sam read out loud.

“Tinkerbael, soldier angel, Heaven 17 battalion. Recognised for outstanding bravery in the Mongolian demon wars of 1372. A steadfast soldier, capable of following orders and an efficient smiting record.”

“Is that all?”

Dean nodded. “Lucky to get that. It was on a Mongolian professors website as a passing reference.”  
Sam leaned back. “Well at least he’s legit.”

Dean nodded. “Though I can’t quite picture Tinkerbell defeating the Mongolian Demon hoard in 1372.”

“Tinkerbael” Sam laughed. “Well at least we know he’s a fighter As long as he’s on our side another angel in our team will be handy.”

“As long as he’s on our side.” warned Dean closing the laptop.

“All we can do is wait” sighed Sam. “Look, I’m tired, lets just put our feet up, watch a film and chill out. Tinkerbell will probably be awake tomorrow.”

Dean laughed out loud. “Tinkerbael Sam” and Sam laughed with him as he realised he had fallen into the same trap.

“Watch out or Captain Hook will come and take you away” grinned Dean tapping his brother on his shoulder.

They settled down and watched Iron Man 3 before they retired to their bedrooms, checking in with Castiel on the way. There was no change and the angel had settled in for the night at the side of his friend.

Vance Kohler paced the room angrily, the tall man in front of him silently watching him. An angry Vance Kohler was a dangerous matter, the peril not to be taken lightly.

“So you’ve lost him.”

“We tracked him to Lebanon but he seems to have dropped off the map. We’ve had no sightings for the last 12 hours.” reported Tam Chung.

The large black man in front of him stopped his pacing and pushed his hands in frustration through his long dark dreadlocks.

“I need to find that sonnuvabitch who stole my medallion.” He calmed himself and began to think logically. Berating his men wasn’t getting him anywhere. The thief was very clever and had run them ragged over the last few weeks, never settling in one place long enough for them to catch up with him, seemingly disappearing at several points when they thought they had finally caught up to him.

“Ok, what have we got?” he said, asking for the latest information.

“He was tracked to Lebanon in Kansas. He was seen at the bus station, getting off a greyhound from Sioux City.”

“Alright, there must be cctv at the bus station. Get Chambers to hack into the local cctv network and lets see if we can pick up any clues. Is there a team in town?”

Chung nodded, relieved that he had survived the notoriously violent mans temper. “Chapo and Mata are on the ground.”

Vance smiled. “Good, call me when the cctv is available.”

20 minutes later, he was leaning over the laptop as Marc Chambers pulled up a video file. It showed the carpark of the local seven eleven store and he watched as a tall figure walked slowly towards an old black car and slumped down against the bonnet. He watched as a few minutes later a dark haired character and a tall younger man came out of the store laden with shopping bags and came to the car. There was no sound but he saw the two men have a short conversation, load their quarry into the back of the car and eventually drive off. He tapped the screen.   
“Find me those two and we’ll find our thief.”

Cheung nodded and picked up his cellphone

“Hello Chapo. I’m sending you a video. Find the car and you’ll find our target.”

Vance turned and added. “I’m flying down. Find a base and I’ll be with you in a few hours.”

The next morning the brothers shared breakfast and checked on their guest. Tinkerbael was still out so Castiel came out and shared breakfast with the two Winchesters and regaled them with stories of Tinkerbaels exploits over the centuries. Both Sam and Dean were impressed with the angels prowess and heard the story of Tinkerbell vs the Mongolian Demon Hoard from an eyewitness Castiel had battled alongside him and had shared in the triumph. It came out that Tinkerbael had saved Castiels life and that helped to form the firm bond between them.

Dean walked over to the cupboard and searched the shelves.

“Sam, did you buy any syrup?” he asked 

Sam shook his head. “I forgot, sorry Dean.”

Dean returned to the table and looked at his plate of pancakes sadly.

“I’ll go and get some from the store later” offered the dark haired hunter.

“No need to make a special trip.”

Sam shook his head. “I’d like to visit the bookstore anyway. They’ve got a new James Martin book reserved for me. I was going to go yesterday but our guest appeared.”

“Fair enough.” He pinned his plate with a stare. “My pancakes need syrup or they’ll wither and die.”

Castiel piped up. “You could always use honey or lemon juice. I believe that can be quite acceptable to the human palate.”

Dean frowned. He got up and took the honey from the pantry and put a dollop of it on the top and took a large spoonful.

“Not the same” he muttered as the sweet taste filled his mouth.

Sam sighed, the older Winchester wasn’t too adventurous in his diet and he liked what he liked.

“I won’t forget” he said and began to eat his own plate of pancakes already drizzled with honey & blueberries.

An hour later, Sam came out of the bookshop, the prized new book clutched in his hand. Remembering he still needed syrup he walked to the nearby store and completed his purchase quickly. Strolling outside he wiped his hand across his sweaty brow as he walked back to the Impala and unlocked it noticing a dark van parked a couple of spaces away. The temperature must be at least 100 degrees, the result of a mid summer heatwave in the area. Suddenly sensing somebody near he turned and found a pistol placed in his side. 

“Come with us quietly and you won’t get hurt” he heard muttered in a Mexican twang.

Sam breathed in deeply and swiftly turned, kicking out his attackers legs. The Mexican fell and Sam karate chopped him in the back of the neck disabling him. Unfortunately the Mexican had back up and Sam was surrounded by three other large men. The fight was vicious, Sam landing several heavy blows but eventually a pistol whip to the back of his head felled him. He was picked up bodily and thrown into the back of the black van which was then driven away at high speed. All that was left on the ground was a book and a bottle of syrup. It had only taken a couple of minutes for the abduction.

Castiel returned to Tinkerbaels side after breakfast and was pleased to see the angel finally stirring. He leaned over and helped him sit up and watched as his fellow angel became fully aware of his surroundings. The blonde angel looked a little brighter but still exhausted.

“Castiel” he said simply “I’ve found you at last. How long have I been here?” he asked looking around. 

“24 hours. Don’t worry, you are in a safe place.”

“I have been running for so long, I didn’t know what to do.”

Castiel stood up. “Are you able to walk, my friend Dean will want to hear your story.”

Tinkerbael stood, still weak but powering up slowly. He walked with the help of Castiel into the lounge where Dean was studying the laptop. He looked up and stood up, indicating for the weak angel to sit down in his vacated seat. Tinkerbael dropped gratefully into the chair and looked up at the stocky short haired hunter as Castiel introduced him.

“Tinkerbael this is Dean Winchester. He is a trusted friend of mine.”

The angel and hunter exchanged nods before Dean spoke up.

“Cas tells me that you need his help. By the looks of you it looks like you’ve had some trouble.”

Tinkerbael nodded. “It all started 3 weeks ago. I was in the first National Bank in Baltimore, my host is a cashier and it enables me to monitor the humans in a simple way. You would be surprised what information I am given through conversations with the customers. A group of men came in with the intention of robbing the bank. It sounds strange but they all held hands and the leader was holding a medallion which he held up and uttered 

"Fac mihi somnus circum orbem terrarm Sonambulim”

(Translation : Make the world around me sleep)

It flashed and everyone in the vicinity fell asleep except for the robbers who remained unaffected. Luckily I was not at the counter but in the back of the office and although it affected me it did not make me sleep. I was able to hide away and as the robbers emptied the tills and the safe, I watched and waited.”

Castiel interrupted. “How did they get hold of the Sonambulim? That power is too much for it to be allowed to fall into a humans hand.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even know it was missing. The last I heard of it, it was stored in heavens armoury.”

Castiel shook his head. “Unfortunately, a lot of items have gone missing from the armoury since the gates of hell were opened and Lucifer was raised to earth.”

“Hang on, back up a bit” interceded Dean. “What the hell is a somam… ?”

“Sonambulim Dean.” replied Castiel patiently. “The Sonambulim is an ancient artifact that has the power of inducing a sonambulistic state to all around it.'

"And what the hell is that?"

"Sleep Dean."

“So this guy has a powerful weapon that will turn people into sleeping beauty. For how long?”

Tinkerbael replied. “For a period of one day.”

“It is a very dangerous weapon to be in human hands. It does not discriminate amongst those affected.”

“How far does it affect?”

“Not far, just a quarter mile radius” replied the Angel . “Unfortunately in this case, it affected drivers outside on the street. Several people were injured in the resultant crashes.”

“What happened?” urged Castiel, wanting his friend to continue the story.

“I watched and waited as the gang filled their bags. I saw the leader, a large black man with long hair, as he directed his mens actions. He came near to my hiding place and I saw my opportunity to take the medallion. I stepped out and confronted him, touched his head and he fell unconscious. I took the Sonambulim and transported my way out of the bank. Unfortunately, I was more affected by the artifact than I thought and my power was drained by my actions. I had to use mortal means of transport to put distance between us. However, they are tenacious followers. I suspect they are able to follow the trace of the Sonambulim somehow. The leader had seen my face before I stunned him and he and his men have pursued me for the last 3 weeks. Every time I have thought I had evaded them, they found me and I have used my depleted powers to escape until I have nothing left. I knew from Angel Radio that Castiel was likely to be around the Winchesters and that they were known to be based in Kansas. I managed to zone into Castiels aura and eventually gained a faint connection to this area. I got the bus from Sioux Falls and arrived yesterday morning. You know the rest.”

“Do you know who’s following you?”

“I don’t know his name but he is a large african descent human with long, plaited hair.”

“Dreadlocks?” asked Dean.

The angels just looked blank. “That’s what the long black hair in plaits is called” explained Dean. “It’s a human thing, don’t worry about it. Where is the Sonam, Sonan …. The artifact?”

“In my bag.”

“Good, well it’s safe here. We have a warded strong room that not even an angel can access without the key.”

Castiel looked around. 

“Where is Sam? Should he not be back by now?”

Dean looked at his watch

“He’s a little later than I expected him.”

Tinkerbael said quietly. “They are dogged pursuers. If they have tracked me here, they may have seen me talking to Sam and Castiel.”

“Shit.” Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled up his brother.

There was no answer.

“Cas come with me. Tink you stay here. You’ll be safe here, nobody knows about this place.”

They ran to the garage, jumping into one of the spare vehicles and Dean drove at top speed into the centre of Lebanon. They found the Impala easily, still parked outside the grocery store. Dean stooped down to pick up the discarded book and bottle of syrup and his eyes fell on a small pool of blood near the back wheel.

He desperately searched around but there was no sign of his brother.

“It looks like Captain Hook has taken him” he said fearfully.

Castiel turned and put his hand on his arm. “You know his name?”

“No, it was a joke between us. He knows where Tinkerbell … TInkerbael is and they’ll have to force it out of him. He’s in trouble Cas.”

“Where do we start to look for him?”

Dean looked around and spotted a cctv camera. “There is a camera there. Let’s see if it captured anything.”

Shortly later, after flashing a fake FBI badge they watched as they saw the kidnap play out. He was proud of his brothers fight but realised that there were overwhelming odds which saw him eventually subdued and thrown into a dark van. 

“Can you close in on the registration plate?” he asked as they watched the van drive away. The operator zoomed in and they read the plate. 

“We can track the van, that’s our best clue to finding Sam. Let’s get back to base so I can pick up the traffic cams. Sams cellphone has a tracker on it which should point us in the right direction.”

He thanked the operator and they returned hastily to the bunker where they found Tinkerbael resting, restoring his battery further who, after hearing of Sams kidnap, assured Dean that he would try his best to help with his rescue.

Dean pulled up the county road cameras and began to search for the black van.

Sam came around to find himself tied to an archway, his arms held at a V and his legs attached to each side of the arch stretching him out. He tested the bonds but realised quickly that they had been tied expertly and that he would be unable to escape them. His movements stilled as he heard a call from behind him, heard a chair creak and heavy footsteps crunch coming towards him across the yard. A large shadow came up in front and someone behind him yanked his hair back. Letting out an involuntary yelp of pain he willed himself to keep calm, trying to assess his situation. He suspected this was something to do with Tinkerbael but didn’t know who these men were.

A large black man stood before him, long dreadlocks tied back and Sam studied him, unsure if he was a demon, an angel or just a human.”Christo” he whispered but the word did not affect his captor. Seeing no recognition of the word, he dismissed the possibility of him being an angel or demon. It looked like he was dealing with a human

“You took a man in your car. I want to know where he is?”

“I don’t know what you mean?” said Sam, gasping at the pressure on his hair.

The black man snarled angrily. “Don’t act the fool, you were seen talking to him and he left in your car. Where did you take him?”

Sam realised that he had no defence so resorted to the second option - silence. That earned him a solid punch in the stomach.

The dark man leaned in close as Sam gasped for breath. 

“He took something from me and I want it back.”

Sam, who didn’t have a clue what he was talking about kept silent. He knew that Dean would be looking for him and just needed to stay alive long enough to be found.

The dark man punched him again and asked him once more where they had taken the thief and again Sam kept silent.

Taking a step back, Vance assessed the bound man in front of him. He was a great reader of people and he suspected that the tall, dark haired young man had a strong resolve that would be hard to break. He moved in close and spoke quietly.

“We can do this easily or painfully boy. Tell me where the thief is and I’ll let you go. You are of no consequence to me, I just want my property back.”

Sam glared at his captor “I don’t know what he’s done but I’m a good judge of character and I’m guessing you're the bad guy.”

Vance laughed. “Oh you’re going to realise just how bad I am. Chapo, lets try him with 20 strokes to begin with.”

Sam cringed as his t shirt was cut off him and he heard the swish of a cane.


	2. Rescue

“Right, Sams cellphone tracker shows him leaving west out of town towards Haven. It doesn’t reach Haven so they’ve turned off somewhere here - he indicated the map. All 3 leaned over studying the area. 

“There are a large number of possible locations on this map” commented Castiel frowning. “There are farms, woods, cabins.”

Dean nodded. “The traffic cam showed the van leaving the edge of Lebanon in the right direction.” He studied the map. “Right, lets try and cut down the options. They would want somewhere isolated so we can discount these suburbs. My guess would be that they would take him to a quiet place so that they could get Sam to give up Tinks location.”

All 3 men tried not to think of Sams treatment, concentrating on their search. Dean stood up running his hand around the back of his neck. “Look, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Maybe we should just get out on the road.”

Tinkerbael came to stand by him. “My grace is stronger than Castiels. Perhaps when we get near I may be able to sense his location.”

Castiel studied the map.

“I think I can narrow it down to 3 possibilities” he announced.  
The others looked down at the map again to see where Cas was pointing.

“Here are 3 hunting lodges located in woods a few miles from the main road. It would be likely that the kidnappers would take him there rather than the more populated farms and buildings nearer the road.”

“Great Cas. Let’s get on the road, maybe Tinks radar will be able to narrow down the choice.”

Tinkerbael raised an eyebrow at Deans nickname. “Tinks?” he said quietly.

“You’ll get used to it” said Castiel leading his friend towards the garage.

Sam hung slumped in the frame of the arch, his back a bruised welt of pain from the brutal flogging. Chapo had not held back with the force of his strokes on the orders of his boss. Vance lifted the shaggy head up, pleased to see the pain etched on his captives face.

“Now, are you ready to tell me where I can find my thief?”

Sam, shook his head slowly, compartmentalising the pain as much as possible. He grunted as his head was dropped harshly and Vance wiped the sweat from his brow. 

“It’s hot out here in the full sun. Let’s see how you feel in half an hour.”

Sam hung his head down, already dehydrated from the hot sun. He could feel his arms and shoulders burning from the relentless rays.

“If you don’t tell me what I want to know, then Chapo will give you another 20 strokes and it will continue until you tell me or you die. It is your choice.”

Sam closed his eyes as he heard his captors walk away.  
“Hurry up Dean” he whispered through parched lips.

What he didn’t know was that the trio of rescuers were on their way. Dean drove fast, the large black car being skilfully navigated towards the area. He concentrated on the driving as Castiel navigated. “Are we near yet” he growled aware that his brother was most probably suffering.

Castiel nodded. “Turn left in 22.23 miles. Look out for a sign for Jackson Woods cabins.”

Tinkerbael was sat in the back seat and as they neared the turn off he began to focus his energy on trying to locate Sam.

30 minutes had passed and Sam was verging on the edge of unconsciousness. The sun beat down harshly on his exposed skin and he felt the damage from the lashing and the sunburn merge into one hot agony. He had stopped sweating and he knew that was a sign that he was in a bad way. Hazily he heard the crunch of footsteps and a dark shadow once again stood before him. He grunted as his head was sharply pulled up and he looked into the face of his dreadlocked captor.

“Are you ready to tell me where the thief is?” he was asked quietly.

Sam found the strength to shake his head in defiance.

The big man sighed and indicated to Chapo who was stood behind the bound man. Chapo swished the cane and Sam flinched involuntarily.

“Why are you protecting him?” Vance sighed. “He’s not worth dying for.”

Sam licked his dry lips. “You’re going to kill me anyway” he managed to grate out from his dry throat.

Vance nodded sagely. “You’re right but you have a choice. If you don’t tell me what I want I will beat you to death. If you tell me I’ll make it quick.” He pulled out a knife and held it against Sams heart. “One little push and it will all be over.”

Sam wearily brought his gaze up to meet Vance’s stare and spat out.

“Go to hell.” and dropped his head.

Vance sighed deeply and indicated for Chapo to begin and Sam jerked in the bonds as fresh lines of fire added to his agony.

“How many boss?” he called, pausing after 4 blows.

Vance studied his gasping victim.

“He won’t tell us anything. It's no matter, the thief can’t hide forever. Once he breaks cover I will be able to track the medallion. It's an inconvenience but I’m a patient man. Don’t stop till he’s dead.”

He stood back and watched as Chapo renewed his efforts, striping Sams back, causing him to finally scream as the pain overwhelmed him.

“No” shouted Tinkerbael suddenly causing the other occupants of the Impala to jump. Dean looked over his shoulder.

“What is it?” he snapped 

“On the left, I can feel him. I can hear him scream”

“Shit. How far Cas?”

“Another mile” he said.

“I must go now.” said Tinkerbael and disappeared.

“No” shouted both Dean and Castiel at the same time.

“There Dean.” shouted Cas “take the turning to the left and follow the road for 3.24 miles. The cabins are located at the end of the road half a mile apart.”

Castiel wished he could transport himself as Tinkerbael had just done but his limited grace would not allow the action. 

He held on as Dean threw Baby around the bend and began to zoom down the side road towards the cabins 

“Hold on Sam, we’re coming.” he called.

Vance and his gang were surprised to find their quarry appear from nowhere and stand in front of them. 

“Stop” he shouted as he heard another scream from Sam as Chapo's last blow connected.

Vance held up his hand and looked curiously at the tall blonde figure.

“It is me that you want. Let him go” 

“Have you got my medallion?” he asked slowly.

The angel nodded and took it out of his pocket briefly to show it before tucking it safely away again.

He looked at Sam and felt that the bound man was fading. He would have to act fast or Castiels friend would not survive the next hour.

“I have to know how you got hold of The Sonambulim?” he said, watching gratefully as Chapo dropped the cane and began to move towards him. 

Vance assessed the thief in front of him.  
“How did you appear like that?”  
Tinkerbael smiled thinly. “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Vance nodded. “So I see.” He shrugged and held up his hands.

“”What the hell. It amuses me to satisfy your curiosity before you die.”

“Don’t be so sure” thought Tinkerbael but didn’t say anything.

“I was offered the medallion by a tall dark man in a bar one night. He asked if I wanted to be rich. I think he was a good judge of character because he chose to approach me although the bar was packed that night. He said that if I agreed to the deal he would give me something that would make me so wealthy that I could buy my own island.”

“Do you know who he was?”

“No, never got a name. I didn’t believe him so he said he would show me a demonstration. He asked me to hold his arm. I was a little freaked out but I thought “what the hell” and took hold of his sleeve. He took out the medallion and said some strange words - sounded like latin or something. It flashed and everyone in the bar collapsed. I asked if they were dead but he assured me that they were asleep and would be that way for 24 hours. I walked round and checked, taking money from the customers and I even copped a feel of the pretty little barmaid. Now I’m not stupid and I knew there would be a price to pay and I asked him how much he wanted.”

“You sold your soul” Tinkerbael stated and saw Vance nod.

“Let’s face it, I’m going to hell anyway with my track record so I agreed.”

“And you sealed the deal.”

Vance shuddered as he remembered the cold kiss that sealed the deal.

“I want my medallion back” he growled.

“How did you follow me?”

“I can feel an energy from the Medallion That's how we knew where it was You were good but you were never going to escape while you had that in your pocket.”

They were disturbed by the loud roar of the engine of the Impala coming down the road

“That is Sams brother and he will be very upset when he sees what you have done to him.” said Tinkerbael quietly.

Chapo and the others drew their guns.

“Wait. I have a proposal.” he raised his hand.

Vance looked back at Tinkerbael intrigued.

The Impala pulled up and Dean and Castiel leapt out guns in hands.

Tinkerbael immediately waved his hand and everyone was frozen to the spot.

“What the hell?” shouted Dean angrily.

“Just give me a minute Dean” said Tinkerbael calmly.

He turned back to Vance who was studying him curiously.

“A proposal?” prompted the black man.

“Single combat - you and me. If I lose then you get the medallion.”

Vance grinned. He was a large man and a street fighter who knew how to win a fight. The tall blonde man in front of him was half his size and looked as weak as a kitten.

“One condition.” added Tinkerbael glancing over to the left .

“Release Sam and let his brother tend to him.”

Vance nodded, it was of no consequence because as soon as he killed the thief he would kill the others. Tinkerbael turned to Dean as he called.

"You sure about this Tink?”

“Look after your brother Dean. He is in a bad condition. He needs water and care.” He turned back to Vance. “ I suggest a short break for you to prepare and then we can commence the combat.”

Dean and Castiel found themselves released and Castiel murmured something to Dean who nodded. He ran to his imprisoned brother and with the help of Castiel cut him down from the arch. Swearing at Sams condition he gently brought him down to the ground. Sam was barely conscious and he grunted in pain as he felt Deans arms around him.

“I’ve got you Sammy” he said soothingly. Castiel handed a bottle of water to him, watching him in concern before standing up and moving to Tinkerbael.

Vance and his gang had moved away to the porch of the cabin, out of the hot sun.

“You are not strong enough for this” he said, looking at his fellow Angel.

“I know what I’m doing Castiel. We have fought many battles together over the centuries. You should be confident in my abilities to overcome a foe. Superior strength is not always necessary.”

Castiel put his hand on his arm and a blue light passed unseen between them.

Tinkerbael nodded gratefully. “You know when to use it.” Castiel murmured. He walked away to stand next to Dean who was kneeling, holding his brother gently. As he neared, the elder Winchester brother looked up. “I’m not sure this is a good idea Cas” he said quietly.

“Don’t worry Dean, you will soon be able to take Sam to safety”.

Dean felt Sam squirm in pain at his side, the heat of his burns searing his body. 

“Cas, I need you to look after Sam, I don’t trust these guys just to watch as their boss gets beat down.”

The angel nodded and knelt to take the ailing patient from his brothers arms.

Standing up Dean went to stand by Tinkerbaels side and they waited as Vance and his gang began to walk towards them.

“You up to this?” he murmured to the tense angel.

“I need you to trust me Dean.” he replied. 

“Not much choice” thought Dean but just clapped the angels back in support. He took a few steps back as Vance advanced and the other gang members stopped short which left Vance and Tinkerbael facing each other.

“You do not have to do this” said Tinkerbael offering Vance a choice of withdrawal but Vance knew that he would not walk away. He did not want to lose the medallion and he was confident that he could defeat the blonde man in front of him. Shaking his head he snapped. “Let’s do this” and raised his hand, a vicious looking knife in his hand.

Dean, Sam and Castiel watched as the angel produced an angel blade from a pocket. Both men circled each other, assessing each others strengths and weaknesses. Vance threw his body forward and slashed down towards the angel but was shocked to see Tinkerbael side step smoothly and turn. Tearing round in rage he attacked again but this time he swept his opponents feet out from under him. Tinkerbael lost balance but swiftly collected himself and used the momentum to catch Vance on the arm with a passing glance of the knife. Shouting out in pain, Vance powered into the angel but once again Tinkerbael easily evaded the attack Dean watched as they fought for several minutes impressed by the fighting prowess of Tinkerbael and he saw how he was wearing the large black man down with a succession of small slashes. 

Dean saw as the gang members observed the same and began to move forward. He raised his gun and snapped. “Don’t you dare” and they stopped. Unfortunately, the movement distracted Tinkerbaels concentration for an instant and it 

it only took a seconds distraction for Vance to dive towards his opponent and thrust the knife deep into the angels chest over his heart. “You lose, I win.” he cried triumphantly. Tinkerbael staggered back and looked down at the knife sticking out of his chest. Grinning he pulled the knife slowly out “No you don’t” he said. Vance Kohler stepped back shock and horror transforming his face as he saw the bloody wound heal over in front of his eyes.

“Who are you?” he breathed.

“I am an angel of the Lord and for your sins you have been judged.” Tinkerbael held out his hand and placed it on the terrified black mans head and the combined power of his and Castiels grace flowed out through his palm. Vance died screaming as the power surged through him.

All surrounding him stood stunned at the display of power before them. After Vances lifeless body fell to the ground, Tinkerbael turned towards the other gang members. “You have a choice Leave this place and change your lives or suffer the same fate as this sinner.”

The pale Cheung, Chapo and Mata turned and fled towards the black van but Dean shouted out a loud “Stop!” and they immediately obeyed, terrified for their lives.

Dean looked towards Tinkerbael. “Which one hurt Sam?” he asked and the angel nodded at Chapo who cringed. Striding towards him, Dean picked up the discarded cane.

“This is for my brother” he snarled, slashing the Mexican savagely across the face, creating a slash that would permanently scar his cheek. “Every time you look in a mirror remember that Dean Winchester did this to you and if I ever see you again I will kill you.”

Chapo held his hand to his face and felt himself pulled away by Cheung and Mata. They climbed quickly into the van and raced away without looking back. 

As the van disappeared around the corner out of sight, Tinkerbael fell to his knees, his grace completely depleted again. Dean ran over and brought the angel back to his feet “Thank you, Sam would be dead without you. ” he said, meeting the gaze of the tired face in front of him. Tinkerbael nodded and allowed himself to be led towards the Impala.

“Your brother needs immediate medical attention. He is suffering badly from heat exhaustion and the damage to the skin of his back is causing him a lot of pain.”

When they reached the car, he was concerned to see that Sam was shivering and writhing in pain. Castiel was tending to him, trying to get some water into his mouth but the younger Winchester was unable to swallow easily and was spilling more that was going down his throat.

He looked up as Dean seated Tinkerbael in the back seat of the Impala.

“I’m sorry but I gave my grace to Tinkerbael, I don’t have enough left to heal him.”

Dean nodded “I know you would if you could. Come on let’s get him back to the batcave.”

Sam grunted in pain as he was lifted and laid down sideways across the back seat, his head resting on Tinkerbaels lap. 

Their trip back was fraught, with every bump causing a cry of pain from Sam, the fever rising in him, his body refusing to pass out. Eventually they returned to the bunker and Dean and Castiel carried Sam to his room, Tinkerbael following tiredly.

“He’s too hot” Dean stated. “We need to cool him down or he’ll start fitting and he’s not strong enough for that. Cas, run the bath and fill it with cool water - not cold that will be too much of a shock to his system.”

Castiel nodded and moved to the bathroom to open the taps to fill the tub.

Sam cried out as Dean moved him slightly and inadvertently touched his sore back.

“Shit sorry Sammy” he cried, wincing at the sight of the red, swollen and bruised back, the stripes of the cane raised in ugly welts from shoulder to buttocks.

Sam was still conscious but not able to communicate due to the overwhelming agony coursing through him. Any movement felt like fire.

Tinkerbael stepped forward into Deans eyeline.

“I don’t have the power to heal him yet but there is a way to relieve his suffering for 24 hours.”

Dean looked up at the concerned Angel who continued.

“I can use the Sonambulim to make him sleep for a day.”

“Is he strong enough for that?” asked the distraught hunter.

“I feel that Sam is strong. Fighting the pain is weakening him. If he sleeps, he will be pain free.”

Castiel walked back into the room.

“What do you think Cas?” asked Dean

“Tinkerbael is correct. Sam is dehydrated and overheated. A cool bath will be more comfortable for him if he is unable to feel the pain of the pressure on his damaged skin. You will also be able to attach a saline drip to his arm whilst he is still.”

Dean raised his eyebrows. “How do you know about saline drips?”

“I have been around the Winchesters for too long” the angel stated and Dean couldn’t do anything but agree with a hollow laugh.

“Get the Sonam thingy Tink.” he said, turning back to Sam as he moved slightly and groaned in pain.

Tinkerbael fetched the Sonambulim from his pocket and stood over Sam. 

“Hold on to my arms.” he instructed and they did what he said. Holding up the medallion he recited the words of latin and it flashed green. Dean watched relieved as Sams body relaxed and the lines of pain fell from his visage.

“Right, let’s get Sam stripped off and in the bath. Once he’s cooled down I’ll break out the saline bags from the cool store. From memory there should be two left from the last time.” He looked up and saw Tinkerbael falter. “Tink, you go to your room and rest up. You’ve done enough today and Sam will need you at full strength when he wakes up. Cas can help me with Sammy?”

The tired angel nodded gratefully and left the bedroom. The fight had taken more out of him than both of the others knew and he needed peace and quiet if he was going to be able to recharge enough to heal Sam the next day

Dean looked up as Castiel brought him a cold beer which he gratefully accepted 

“How is he?” asked the dark angel, looking down at the peacefully sleeping hunter in front of him. They had bathed Sam in cool water which had brought his temperature down and the second saline bag was dripping much needed fluids into his veins. They had laid Sam on his front and tended his back. It was bruised and sore looking and they had applied lotions and cleaned the wounds. A few of the lashes had broken the skin but did not need stitching as the swelling was sealing the wounds. Dean shuddered to imagine the pain that his younger brother had suffered without a clue why he was being tortured in such a brutal way.

“He’s still hot but his colour is coming back.“

Castiel nodded, feeling out with his grace. “He is recovering slowly but his wounds will be painful for a long time.”

“Hopefully Tink will be able to sort that out tomorrow. Is he ok?”

“He is weaker that he would like us to know The fight just about finished him. Without my grace he would not have been able to smite the black man.”

“Thanks Cas.” murmured Dean. “I know that cost you as well.”

“Sam was dying.” he said simply.

Dean took a swig from the cold beer and leaned back tiredly. It had been a long day and his efforts to care for his brother had exhausted him.

“Why don’t you go to your room and lie down for a while Dean. I will watch over him.”  
Dean shook his head. “No, I can’t leave Sam.”

“He will sleep for another 19 hours Dean.”

Again Dean shook his head. “You know I can’t leave him when he’s hurt Cas.”

“Then I suggest you climb in next to him and rest.”

Sams bed was a double and was big enough for two and Dean hesitated for only a second before moving. Kicking off his shoes he lay down, careful not to disturb the sleeping man. “I’ll just rest my eyes for a little bit.” he said placing the bottle on the small side table.

Castiel nodded and smiled as Dean closed his eyes and the tired hunter succumbed to an exhausted sleep. He stayed for a short time and then retired to his own room assured that both Winchesters were safe together. Although angels didn’t need to sleep, they did rest and he closed his eyes to refresh his slowly regrowing grace.

19 hours later, the trio were at Sams side as the tall dark hunter began to wake. His temperature, although still a little high was much better but his wounds were vivid and swollen. Moving slightly as he awoke Sam groaned in pain as the welts and sunburnt skin pulled and Dean put his hand lightly on his arm stopping the movement.

“Try not to move Sammy.” he whispered. “Tinkerbael thinks he’s strong enough to help you now.”

Sam groaned and looked up at the tall blonde angel stood by Deans side, the movement causing a wave of pain to travel over his back.

“You’re on Tink.” said Dean moving to the side to allow the angel to kneel at the side of Sam. 

“Close your eyes Sam and try not to move.”

Sam closed his eyes and Tinkerbael laid his hands on the dark shaggy hair, frowning at feeling the heat under his palms. This man needed his help and he hoped he had sufficient power to heal him. It was his fault that Sam was in this condition and he knew he would have to try his best to help him.

The Angel closed his eyes and focussed his grace and a blue glow began to emit from his hands. He pictured Sams worst injuries, mainly the result of the lashes to the back and the severe bruIsing to both the back and stomach. He felt the power waning as his efforts healed Sam slowly and he faltered towards the end. However, a firm hand was placed over his and he felt Castiel contributing to the healing. Gratefully he accepted the grace and Sams body began to heal. It took a minute but eventually happy that he healed the worst of the injuries he pulled his hand away and opened his eyes to see the result of his action. Sams back was now clear of scars and burns and the hunters eyes opened to show a bright green look of gratitude.

“How are you Sammy” asked Dean in concern and was pleased to see his brother rise and turn to sit with his back against the bedhead.

“Better thanks to you” he said, taking in the gazes of all three occupants of the room.

Dean handed him a bottle of water which he drank greedily.

“How are you?” he addressed Tinkerbael who was hovering at the end of the bed now. 

The angel nodded. “I need to rest again. Hopefully I will no longer need to expel so much grace”

“Thank you. You’ve saved me a lot of pain.”

“It’s the least I could do considering that it was my fault that you were hurt.”

Sam nodded, unable to deny the truth of the statement.

“He said you stole something from him. What was it?”

Dean interceded. “That is a long story Sammy. Look, you must be hungry. Let me prepare something to eat and we can discuss it over dinner.”

Sam nodded, becoming aware of his hunger and thirst. He took another long swig of his water. 

“Fair enough.”

An hour later they were all sat around the large table, the remains of dinner in front of them. 

“It doesn’t look like much.” commented Sam, turning the medallion around in his hands.

“And you say that this can send people to sleep within a quarter mile radius?”

“Yep” nodded Dean.

“It is a powerful weapon Sam. It should never have been put in the hands of a human.”

advised Castiel.

“What are you going to do with it?” 

“It’s going in the bunkers strong room. It should be safe there.”

“It would be a good weapon in our arsenal.”

Dean shook his head. “No, that thing is not meant for humans. It needs putting away where it can’t fall into the wrong hands again. Although…..”

Sam looked at his brother.

“Although?”

“Well maybe the bad guys had the right idea. We could use it once to rob a bank and we wouldn’t need to scrimp for the rest of our lives.”

“No Dean” cried Sam and watched as his brother laughed and held his hands up.

“Joking Sammy. That thing is being buried in the deepest part of the vault. No-one should have that kind of power.”

Dean turned back to Tinkerbael. “What are your plans Tink? You’re welcome to stay here for a while.”

The blonde angel nodded his head in thanks.

“I will stay for a short period until my power is back to normal levels. Castiel and I have about 2 centuries to catch up on.”

“Good, because I want the inside story on the battle of Tinkerbell vs the Mongolian Demon Hoard.”

“Tinkerbael” said Sam with a smile but the angels just shared an exasperated glance.

“As I said, you will get used to it.” commented Castiel.

A few days later, Dean walked into the study and saw Sam frowning at the computer in front of him.

“What’s up?” he asked 

“We’ve got a problem.”

“What?” said Dean moving to look at the screen. It showed the FBI site and on the page was a picture of Tinkerbael with a note “Missing. Wanted for bank robbery.”

“Oh shit” he breathed.

“We need to tell him he’s on the most wanted list. It looks like they think he was the inside man as he disappeared at the time of the robbery.”

“We need to fix this or his host will end up behind bars”

“Agreed. Where is he?”

“He’s downstairs with Cas.”

“I’ll go and find him.”

A short while later the two angels were leaning over and looking at the computer screen as Sam explained the problem.

“So we need to figure out how to clear your hosts name” concluded the tall hunter..

“What do you suggest?” asked Tinkerbael

“You tell them you were abducted by the robbers and were held captive for 3 weeks.”

“Why would they abduct him?” prompted Dean posing as Devils Advocate.

“Because they wanted his knowledge on bank security procedures.”

Dean nodded. 

“And they would believe that if I turned up at their office?” asked Tinkerbael.

Dean shook his head. “Unlikely.”

“Then why would you advise that I go the the authorities?”

“Because if you don’t go you’ll be hunted by the FBI and risk being arrested and imprisoned for a long time. I know you can just jump bodies but that is hardly fair on your host is it.” Tinkerbael shook his head vehemently. If you go to them with a good enough story you’ll clear your hosts name.”

Tinkerbael considered the answer. “I have been hunted long enough. Tell me what to do.” he said firmly.

Sam moved over. “Look, there is an element of the truth in your story. They didn’t actually abduct you but they were chasing you. You need to tell them that you were kept a cabin in the woods and that they had a disagreement with another gang. You heard yelling and shots and then three men burst into the room where you were tied up and went to shoot you as well. When they saw that you were a prisoner they released you and dropped you off near to a local police station.”

“And they will believe that?”

“Yes, if the local sheriff is backing up your story. We have a good relationship with Sheriff Jody Mills in Sioux City. She’ll visit the cabin and take some photos, we can rig up some fake bloodstains and some evidence that someone was being held prisoner.”

Tinkerbael nodded slowly.

“That is a lot of work for you.”

Sam placed his hand on his arm.

“It’s what friends do.”

The angel shook his head.

“I am struggling to understand the complexity of human emotions. I feel both guilt and gratitude and something else.”

“A feeling of comradeship?” said Castiel with an enigmatic smile

Tinkerbael nodded.

Dean clapped his hand on the angels back 

“Welcome to the world of the Winchesters.” he declared.


End file.
